After having the thugs sign and fingerprint the confessions, Zhao Yuan folded the papers. He made a show of tucking them inside his shirt, but he had actually opened his Storage Ring and placed all the confessions inside.
He then said, "Considering your cooperative attitude in confessing, I'll show some mercy this once and stop torturing you."
The thugs all let out a collective sigh of relief. A few even had expressions of gratitude on their faces.
Zhao Yuan turned and ordered Li Qingbo and Pan Ping, "Uncle Li, Uncle Pan, find some rope and tie them up. Oh, right, gag them too."
"Okay." Li Qingbo and Pan Ping nodded and immediately led the miners to find some rope, tying the thugs tightly together.
Then, they took out their own towels—blackened and filthy from sweat and coal dust—and stuffed them into the thugs' mouths. The sour stench was almost enough to make them pass out.
